Developmentally inappropriate attention and/or hyperactivity and impulsivity that interferes with a child's normal daily life is the definition given to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics' Healthy Children website. As of August 2010, ADHD is on the rise and one of the most common and most studied conditions of childhood, notes the same website.
Symptoms
Children with ADHD may have symptoms generally falling into one of three categories: inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity, according to the Healthy Children and National Institute of Mental Health, or NIMH, websites. Professionals have identified distinct differences in children with ADHD compared to those without the condition. Children with ADHD daydream or have difficulty paying attention, are easily distracted and have a tendency to misplace or lose things. ADHD children usually seem to be in constant motion, and rarely can stay seated. Squirming and talking excessively are common. ADHD children talk excessively, make comments without thinking and having trouble following directions. Interrupting seems the norm, and patience is almost non-existent, mentions Healthy Children and the NIMH. The presence of ADHD is suspected when the behavior does not seem age appropriate in comparison to other children of the same age who do not have ADHD, claims the Healthy Children website.
Cause
ADHD is not just bad behavior. Children with ADHD have impaired brain neurotransmitters, where the brain does not properly process chemical messengers. Many likely causes have been proposed, notes Healthy Children, but there is no single cause to date.
Risk Factors
According to the NIMH and Healthy Children websites, researchers have looked at several risk factors as possibly being associated with ADHD symptoms. Those risk factors include, a genetic component, with ADHD running five times higher in families who have a close relative with ADHD, medical causes where the brain development was affected or brain injury occurred, and environmental factors such as exposure to lead, cigarette and alcohol during pregnancy.
Treatments
The focus of treating ADHD is reducing the symptoms and increasing overall function. The child's physician will develop a treatment plan the family, along with therapists, and the school can follow. Medications are usually part of the plan. According to the NIMH, medications called stimulants are the most common type used. The stimulants help children focus better and ignore distractions which ultimately helps them pay attention and control behavior, sites the Healthy children website. Behavior therapy works well with medications. In behavior therapy, realistic, measurable goals are set by the therapist. Some goals are improved homework skills, more overall independence and self-care, along with improved self-esteem and general behavior improvement.
Warning
Some other conditions may coexist with ADHD, and will need the attention of the the treatment team. According to the NIMH, they might include a conduct disorder, where stealing, lying, fighting and bullying others is apparent. Some children with ADHD have bipolar depression, anxiety and learning disabilities such as mathematics and reading disorders. Educational testing will help determine some of the learning disorders, mentions the Healthy Children website.
Misconceptions
Some common misconceptions or misinformation that circulate, include the child is "just lazy and unmotivated," "ADHD is caused by poor parenting discipline," or "treatment for ADHD will cure it." ADHD is a chronic condition that will not go away. Older adolescents and adults learn to organize their lives, and use techniques to help them live a thorough, active lifestyle, claims the Healthy Children website.
Challenges
According to the Healthy Children website, as ADHD children become older, there are more academic demands, sometimes making it very challenging for the adolescent. The teenager is expected to hold his attention, display complex thinking, be organized and have fine motor skills that are needed for note-taking and keyboard use. Some strategies to help the teen could be to develop an academic contract signed by the parent, teacher and child and working closely with his teachers to develop schoolwork strategies that highlight his strengths and set realistic goals.
